Wings for Life World Run 2018

It's hard to believe that Wings for Life World Run is about to hit edition number 5. The Red Bull charity run, with the strapline "running for those who can't run themselves" has raised over €20 million for over 60 research projects into spinal cord injuries around the globe.

For the past four years, this great initiative has followed the same format, with runners setting off at the same moment, from various locations around the globe, irrespective of whether it is night and day. The aim is to keep running until caught by a "Catcher Car" and whoever stays out in front for the longest distance, is the winner. The actual physical race, which starts at 12h00 GMT on May 6th, a month from now, is still the visual highlight of the event, but locally managed App Runs, where people organise their own starting points have proved very popular, with a virtual Catcher Car deployed on the App. For the first time, there is no actual run being held in Italy, so Toro Rosso people taking part will do so using this method. And another first sees the official start time activated on the Wings for Life World Run App.

The App Runs allow for a group of people, or even an individual, to embark on a run at exactly the same time as those taking part in the organised runs. Wings for Life itself is getting the ball rolling by setting up some App Runs of its own, but you too can create your own. The entry fee money raised goes to the charity, which has already funded so much valuable medical research.